Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble - David Sprague

This soul giant -- in every sense of that word -- experienced something of a career rebirth with his last release, the covers-based Don't Give Up on Me, so it's not surprising that he'd return to that well again. What is something of a revelation, however, is how different Make Do with What You Got is from its predecessor. Much looser, bawdier even, the disc finds the singer really letting go, sweating up a storm on a rendition of the Rolling Stones' "I Got the Blues" -- a fair choice, given that band's success in covering Burke back in the day -- and dipping his hands deep into the gospel waters of Hank Williams's "Wealth Won't Save Your Soul." With classic Muscle ...

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Editorial Reviews

Barnes & Noble
- David Sprague

This soul giant -- in every sense of that word -- experienced something of a career rebirth with his last release, the covers-based Don't Give Up on Me, so it's not surprising that he'd return to that well again. What is something of a revelation, however, is how different Make Do with What You Got is from its predecessor. Much looser, bawdier even, the disc finds the singer really letting go, sweating up a storm on a rendition of the Rolling Stones' "I Got the Blues" -- a fair choice, given that band's success in covering Burke back in the day -- and dipping his hands deep into the gospel waters of Hank Williams's "Wealth Won't Save Your Soul." With classic Muscle Shoals backing -- plenty of organ and chunky guitar, the latter played by Ray Parker Junior -- songs like the Dr. Johnpenned title track fill the nostrils with the scent of Delta dew. That earthiness is nicely balanced by Burke's subtle handling of more introspective material, notably Bob Dylan's "What Good Am I?" As the unflagging power of this disc bears out, age hasn't diminished the titanic scope of Burke's voice. If anything, he's more in control of it at 64 than he was two decades ago, and he's doing a lot more than making do.

All Music Guide
- Mark Deming

One of the great pleasures of Solomon Burke's 2002 "comeback" album, Don't Give Up on Me Burke never really went away, but this time around folks were paying attention, was the fact it was so unexpected -- instead of trying to replicate the sound and feeling of the records Burke made in the 1960s, producer Joe Henry conjured up a warm but skeletal backdrop which allowed the once and future King of Rock 'n' Soul to dig into the heart of the songs contributed by the likes of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, and Brian Wilson in a manner unlike anything he'd done before. Conversely, the greatest disappointment of Burke's next "big-league" album, 2005's Make Do With What You Got, is that it sounds almost exactly the way you'd expect it to. The spare approach of Don't Give Up on Me has been abandoned in favor of a high-gloss production from Don Was, and Was has set up a bombastic soul session replete with horns, massed keyboards, and big vocal choruses, but while the accompaniment is strong, professional, and occasionally even enthusiastic where has Ray Parker, Jr. been hiding his razor-sharp guitar skills for the past two decades?, Make Do With What You Got sounds like an overly anxious attempt to re-create the sound of vintage R&B sides that gets the surfaces right but never quite captures the heart and soul of the music. Of course, Was' overly slick production and the less impressive set list does nothing to hold back Solomon Burke -- his performances are typically superb, and he gives this album enough soul power to fuel a small city for a month, even bringing chestnuts like "It Makes No Difference" and "I've Got the Blues" to vivid and passionate life that's thrilling to hear. No one can sing a song quite Solomon Burke, and that's what makes Make Do With What You Got worth a listen; unfortunately, lots of people could have produced these sessions as well if not better than Don Was, and that's this album's Achilles' heel.

Rolling Stone
- David Wild

1/2 Forty-four years after he sang the yearning "Just Out of Reach," Solomon Burke sounds like a man who's right where he should be.

Entertainment Weekly
- Marc Weingarten

Burke belts it out like he did for Atlantic during his '60s salad days. (A-)
1/2 Forty-four years after he sang the yearning "Just Out of Reach," Solomon Burke sounds like a man who's right where he should be.

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